Rat Walk

My sweet girls! From left: Lysia, Lily, and Lottie (or, as my husband calls them: Black Rat, Little Rat, Fat Rat)

Rats, like people, have different gaits. Their style and speed depends on their moods and purpose, just like us. So far, I've identified 6 different gaits

*Waddle- This is a slow walk. More like a human saunter. If they wore pants, they'd have their hands in their pockets, whistling, not really paying attention to anything.

*Speed Walk- I saw this one tonight. It's a much faster walk. Legs and tails are held high off the ground and they spend a lot of time sniffing. I think at this pace they are making their mental map of the area.

*Skulk- This is when they are trying to be sneaky (more likely, trying not to get caught). They usually hug the sides of the walls and stay low to the ground.

*Prance- They are so cute when they prance! My rats do this when they've found something (nesting material, nut, seeds) and they want to take it somewhere else. Their heads are held high and they do little jumps, trying to keep their treasure from touching the ground.

*Scurry- I love the sound of teen-tiny feet scurrying across the floor. :) Obviously, this is done when they are in a hurry. It looks like a fast skulk in that the rats seem to stay close to the ground.

*RUN!- Now, normally I see them running when they are chasing each other or if they get scared. Or, when they hear the snack sound and they want to get their snack RIGHT NOW. :)